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4* The Standard Spa
40 Island Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Boutique, Adults Only
This is the Miami option for travellers whose idea of a good holiday involves considerably more spa time than club time. The Standard Spa, Miami Beach occupies a peaceful waterfront spot on Belle Isle, with tropical gardens, an infinity pool and one of the most extensive hotel spa setups in the city.
The hydrotherapy area includes a Turkish-style hammam, aroma steam room, cedar sauna, ice room, Roman waterfall hot tub and Arctic plunge, while many rooms have private terraces and outdoor soaking tubs. Lido Bayside Grill makes the most of the sunset-facing location.
You're close to the western end of Lincoln Road and Hotel Gaythering, but the Atlantic beach, 12th Street gay beach and central South Beach nightlife are farther away.
GayMapper tip: Come here for wellness, relaxation and sunsets rather than doorstep gay nightlife. It feels more like an adults-only spa retreat than a conventional South Beach hotel.
Hotels you might like in Miami
5* The Setai, Miami Beach
The Setai, Miami Beach does South Beach luxury in a noticeably calmer way. The Asian-influenced Art Deco design, serene courtyard and immaculate oceanfront setting make it feel more secluded than its Collins Avenue address suggests.
Three beachfront infinity pools are kept at different temperatures, with full beach service beyond them, while the spa and high-end restaurants complete the resort experience.
You're still in South Beach, but around 20th Street, so the LGBTQ beach and traditional gay nightlife sit several blocks to the south rather than outside the door.
GayMapper tip: One for a serious luxury splurge — especially if peace, service and the beach matter more than having the gay scene around the corner.
By the Beach, Luxury
5* The Betsy South Beach
At the quieter northern end of Ocean Drive, The Betsy South Beach manages to feel sophisticated without disconnecting you from everything that makes the neighbourhood fun.
The LGBTQ beach at 12th Street is only a couple of blocks away, so you can be on the sand quickly without sleeping in the busiest part of Ocean Drive.
There are two pools, including one on the rooftop, direct beach access and LT Steak & Seafood, but it's the cultural side that gives the hotel its personality. The Betsy has its own library, rotating art and literary programming and live jazz in the Piano Bar virtually every night.
GayMapper tip: A particularly good choice for couples who want a polished, grown-up hotel close to the gay beach but don't want their entire stay to feel like a party.
GayMapper Favourite, Near Gay Beach
3* Blanc Kara
South of Fifth gives you a calmer side of South Beach, and Blanc Kara suits travellers who like having a little more space and independence. This adults-only hotel is made up of generously sized studios rather than conventional hotel rooms, each with a proper kitchen, so it works particularly well for longer stays.
The beach is just down the street, while Ocean Drive and the main South Beach action are easily walkable north. The LGBTQ beach around 12th Street and the gay nightlife are a little farther away than from the central Art Deco hotels, but still straightforward to reach on foot. There’s no resort-style pool or big social scene here — the appeal is space, quiet and location.
GayMapper tip: A very good choice for couples or longer stays; less so if a pool and lively hotel atmosphere are essential.
Boutique, Adults Only
4* Victor South Beach
Few Miami hotels put you closer to the places LGBTQ visitors are actually likely to use. Hotel Victor South Beach sits on Ocean Drive at 11th Street, with the gay beach around 12th Street, Twist on Washington Avenue and Palace just down Ocean Drive.
The handsome Art Deco building has a pool overlooking the ocean, stylish rooms and a proper spa with a hammam, sauna and treatments. The former Versace Mansion next door adds a little only-in-South-Beach glamour, while restaurants and bars surround you in every direction.
GayMapper tip: One of the strongest locations on the whole list if gay beach by day and gay nightlife by night are your priorities. Ocean Drive can be lively, so don't choose it expecting total tranquillity.
Near Gay Beach, Boutique
5* EAST Miami
Miami doesn't have to mean Miami Beach. EAST Miami sits inside Brickell City Centre and gives you a much more urban base surrounded by restaurants, shopping, high-rises and the nightlife of Brickell itself.
The rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies, while four pools sit on the outdoor deck. Quinto is the hotel's South American restaurant, but the standout is Sugar, the lush rooftop bar high above the city — worth remembering even if you're staying somewhere else.
South Beach and its LGBTQ beach and bars sit across the bay, so this isn't a hotel from which you'll casually wander home from Twist at 2am.
GayMapper tip: Excellent for an urban Miami stay, business trip or a few nights before or after a cruise. If the gay beach is the main reason you're coming, stay in South Beach instead.
Luxury, City Centre
4* Loews Miami Beach Hotel
If you want a proper beachfront resort without leaving central South Beach behind, Loews Miami Beach Hotel does that very well. It sits directly on the sand at 16th Street, with the LGBTQ beach around 12th Street an easy walk south and Lincoln Road nearby.
This is a large hotel — nearly 800 rooms — so expect a very different feel from Miami's little Art Deco boutiques. In return you get a substantial pool deck, direct beach access, spa, fitness centre and several places to eat and drink.
It's also noticeably family-friendly, which may be either a plus or a minus depending on the trip.
GayMapper tip: Best for travellers who want full resort facilities and beach access while keeping the gay scene within walking distance; not the choice for an intimate boutique atmosphere.
By the Beach, Luxury
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